Prebiotic triose glycolysis promoted by co-catalytic proline and phosphate in neutral water†
Álvaro F.
Magalhães 
a
and
Matthew W.
Powner
*a
a
and
Matthew W.
Powner
*a
Abstract
Proline and phosphate promote a near-quantitative aldol reaction between glycolaldehyde phosphate and formaldehyde at neutral pH in water. Our results demonstrate the important role of general acid-base catalysis in water and underscore the essential role that amino acid catalysis may have played in early evolution of life's core metabolic pathways.
- This article is part of the themed collection: Celebrating our 2024 Prizewinners
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